Israel pushes ahead with E. Jerusalem housing
Move comes despite opposition from Palestinians, United States
JERUSALEM — Israel is pushing ahead with plans to build 1,300 new apartments for Jewish families in Arab East Jerusalem, the Interior Ministry said on Monday, despite fierce opposition from Palestinians.
No, the Interior Ministry of the State of Israel did not say that it is building 1300 apartments in Arab East Jerusalem. It said that it is building in Jerusalem, period. An opinion has been inserted right into the first line of this story to make sure readers know that the Jews are the bad boys, and the Arabs are the victims.
The timing of the announcement could prove an embarrassment for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is in the United States looking for ways to revive Middle East peace talks that have stalled over the issue of Jewish settlement building.
An embarrassment for Binyamin Netanyahu? The prime minister is not in the least embarrassed about Israelis building in Israel. The word 'embarrassed' was inserted in order to imply somehow that it is common knowlege that Israeli building in Jerusalem is a shameful act.
Peace talks have not stalled--they never really started. The 'stall' involved has to do with the existence of Israel, and not an entirely fabricated building issue. Before 1967 talks were not only 'stalled,' but non-existent. Notice that the Arabs have nothing to do with any of the problems--only Jews can stall peace talks. In reality, Israeli policy was completely obvious before these so-called peace talks began, and the Israeli governmnet made it clear that building in Jerusalem would not be stopped beyond a moratorium of specified duration.
Interior Ministry spokeswoman Efrat Orbach said plans for some 1,300 Jewish housing units in two neighborhoods on land Israel seized in a 1967 war had been made public, passing another procedural stage toward eventual construction.
Ah, land 'seized in war.' Israel reconquered parts of its ancient homeland after repeated attacks against Israel by the Arabs. Now Israel's defensive wars and territorial ajustments are portrayed as aggression against Arabs, in order to steal their land.
She said the public could still raise objections to the plans and it could take a long time before building commenced.
"It can take months or years from this point until building can actually begin, or even before tenders for building are issued," Orbach said.
Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said regardless of when the building actually takes place, the latest Israeli move was a sign of bad faith.
But nothing new or unexpected whatsoever has happened, Mr Erekat. You knew explicitly Israel public policy on building in Jerusalem, as did the Americans. This feigned dissappointment is a scripted affair.
He said the Palestinians had hoped Netanyahu had gone to the U.S. "to make a choice for peace and not settlements."
Israel building in its capital means Netanyahu has mad a choice for what? War? And by the way, Jerusalem is not what the press calls a 'settlement.' It is an established large urban area of the modern city of Jerusalem.
This MSNBC story was illustrated with the photo of an Israeli neighbourhood in Jerusalem, and a lone Arab woman in silhouette dwarfed by the apartment towers. The imagery is distinctly intended to be anti-Israel. The giant buildings covering the land of this poor, simple village woman--another variation on David and Goliath story, with Israel as the nastly big fellow.
From: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40075378/ns/world_news-mideastn_africa
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